That’s an insightful question, and it taps into a crucial aspect of human history, lineage, and how cultural depictions change over time.


First off, let’s get the science out there. Yes, the overwhelming consensus among anthropologists and geneticists is that the first anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa. The oldest hominid fossils, DNA evidence — it all points to Africa as the cradle of humanity.

Now, regarding Adam and Eve. It’s important to recognize them as symbolic figures in religious texts, specifically within Abrahamic traditions. These texts were written by and for people in the Middle East thousands of years ago. The visual image we have of a pale-skinned Adam and Eve comes from Western art and doesn't necessarily reflect historical or factual accuracy.

Why do they look like they've just stepped out of a Renaissance painting instead of the Rift Valley? When artists create, they do so through the lens of their own culture and what's familiar to them. For European artists, that often meant depicting figures from the Bible as white because that's what their audiences would identify with. It's a localization of iconography, so to speak.

As these religious beliefs spread to predominantly white societies, the imagery stuck, and with the advent of mass communication and printing, this depiction became widespread. It wasn't a conspiracy but an outcome of artistic representation meeting cultural and religious transmission.

In the age of globalization and rising knowledge of our origins, there’s a growing appreciation for historical and scientific accuracy. New retellings and artworks reflect a broader, more inclusive range of human looks that probably resemble our ancestors more closely.

Remember — symbols and characters within religious and mythological stories often transform to meet the cultural expectations of their audience. So, while Adam and Eve are typically shown as white in Western art, that's not an indication of historical fact but an interplay of religious narratives, art, and culture.

*Politeness*

So you answered your own question - they weren't!

PoliteActivist:
*Politeness*

So you answered your own question - they weren't!

Yeah.